Display apparatus



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,218 A R. M. CRAIG l DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1'- Jan. 8,' 1929. 1,698,218

R. M. CRAIG DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1925 4 sheets-sheer', 2

,illu inn! iiilllmliill nIl|llilllmillliillnmuiiill Jan. 8, 1929.

R. M. CRAIG DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1925 4 sheets-sheet 3 m I k y w @zw a/ M7 mommy Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

UNITED STATES BICI-IARD CRAIG, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Application filed December 29, 1925. SeralvNol 78,243. Y'

This invention relates to a novel method ot and means for alternately displaying an invested object and the effect ,of divestiture thereof, the invention being based on the principles of color absorption and the method embodying the invention being applicable to the display of merchandise for advertising purposes, the display of apparent trans Yformation ot objects for amusement purposes, and various other kinds of displays.

It is one of the objects of the invention, in one ot the embodiments thereof, to provide for the display of the contents of cans, cartons, boxes, Vand containers in general, the

container with the label thereon designating the character of the contents being displayed in one step of the carrying out ot the method and the said container, in'another step ot the method, being caused to apparently dis.- appear thus revealing to view the contents thereof, so that in this respect the invention constitutes a valuable advertising medium 'for such merchandise is ordinarily packed in opaque containers and concealed from view until the container' has been opened.

Another object ot the invention is to provide for the interesting and attractive display of Wearing apparel so that, in accordance with the principles of the invention, a dummy may, at one moment, be made to appear for example in street attire and, at another moment be made to appear .attired in such undergarments `as the merchant, employing the invention may desire to advertise, so that both outer and under garments be displayed upon a single dummy and in a very mystiiying manner that will be certain to attract and. hold the attention of observers ot the display.

In another embodiment of the invention, the object in view is to provide for the application of the method to an'animate object, thus enabling the invention to be practiced on the stage to produce startling transformation effects. y

In `the accompanying drawings: a

F ipure l is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating a container and its contents to be displayed in accordance with the present invention,v the View also illustrating diagrammatically the lighting circuit by which the container is displayed;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure l illustrating another type of container and another kind oi article of merchandise, together with a diagrammatic illustration of the lighting circuit;

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away, illustrating the manner in which the displayed object may lbe made to apparently change in size, the view illustrating also the lighting circuitthrough the medium of which the object is displayed; y Figure 4 is a view in elevation with a part broken away, illustrating substantially the arrangement shown in Figure l of thedrawings except that the light sources are located within the container to illuminate the same from within rather than from the exterior thereof; n Y l Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a dummy,clothed in Wearing apparel, in accordance with the principles of the inven# tion, the view illustrating the appearance of the dummy whendisplayed under light rays oi one spectralcolor; V

Figure (i is a similar View illustrating the appearance of the dummy when displayed under light rays of another color;

Figure 7 is afview illustrating the application ot the principles of the invention to -a theatrical transformation display, and the appearance of the display under lightrays of one .spectral color;

Figure 8 is a similar view illustratingthe appearance oi the display under light rays of another spectral color.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure l of the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in general a container resembling ay can, and this container is of Celluloid or some other transparent material and is of a distinctive color such for example as red. rlhe numeral 2 indicates words or other matter constituting they equivalent of a label such as would appear upon such a container, and y these words `or other matter are represented in a pigment of a distinctive vcolor such for example as green. Merchandise is disposed within the container and in the example illust-rated in Figure l the numeral 3 indi- Cates either natural or artificial olives which are promiscuously arranged within the container in the same manner that the actual product wouldbe contained within an ordinary can. lt will be understood of course that various fruits may constitute the contents ot the container, depending of course upon the commodity to be displayed or advertised, and in accordance with the principles ot the invention the packaged commodity is to be displayed under light rays of contrasting colors to produce certain mystifying and interesting effects which will presently be more fully explained. As previously stated, the invention involves a method of alternately displaying an invested object and the effect of divestiture thereof, and there fore, in the specific embodiment shown in Figure 1, the invested object constitutes the natural or artificial olives 3 which are green in color as shown in the said figure, and the investing'` medium constitutes the container 1, and likewise, in accordance with the. principles of the invention, the investing medium or investment, and the invested object are of contrasting pigment colors. The effect of divestiture of the invested object is obtained by successively displaying the container and its contents under light rays of contrast-ing Spectral colors and the means whereby this may be accomplished is illustrated diagramniatically in Figure 1 of the drawings. The numeral 4 indicates any desired number of red light bulbs and the numeral 5 any desired number of bluel light bulbs which bulbs are so arranged with respect to the container and its contentsas to provide for flooding of the Same with red light rays when the red light bulbs are 'lighted and with blue light rays when the blue light bulbs are lighted. The numeral 6 indicates a source of supply and the numeral 7 indicates in general any suitable type of automatic flasher. A con ductor wire 8 vis led from one side of the source of current supply 6 and connected to one terminal of the socketsfor all of the red and bluebulbs. The flasher 7 may be of any simple type and for example comprises a disk 9 of insulating material upon the face of which are arranged two series of contacts, the contacts of one series being indicated by the numeral 10 and those of the other series by the numeral 11 and the contacts of the two series being arranged in staggered relation and concentric to a shaft 12 by which the disk 9 is supported for rota-tion. A conductor wire 13 is led from theother source of the vcurrent supply and electrically connected with the shaft 12, and brushes 14 and 15 are mounted in pixtaposition to the flasher disk and are arranged to respectively coact with the contacts 10` and 11 in the rotation of the disks. A conductor wire 16 is led from the brush 14 and connected to the other terminal of the socket for each of the blue light bulbs 5, and a conductor wire 17 is led from the brush 15 and is connected with the other At the same time the matter 2 will appear a brilliant white as the pigment color in which the matter is represented corresponds substantially tothe spectral color of the light rays under which the container and its contentsare at this time displayed. In the continued rot-ation of the flasher disk and as one of the strips 11 comes into contact with the brush 15, the circuit will be closed through the red light bulbs 4, and the container and its contents will be flooded with red light days. At this time the container 1 will be nearly invisible, due to the fact that the-pigment color in which it is represented is the same as the color of the light rays under which the container and its contents are at this time displayed. Therefore the contents 3 will be displayed substantially black and the effect will be that of the container being suddenly removed, leaving the contents there i of exposed to full view of the observer. As the matter 2 is represented in a pigment color contrasting with the color of the red light bulbs 4, this matter will at such time appear substantially black. It will be evident, at this point, thatl the invention consists in representing the object in one pigment color, investing the object with atransparent medium of a distinctive pigment color contrasting with the color in which the object is represented, and displaying the invested object, during successive periods, under light rays of contrasting spectral colors so that under one period of display the container will appear substantially opaque and the contents will be invisible, and, under another period of display the container will apparently be obliterated and the contents made to appear. It will be evident therefore that the invention is not concerned to any considerable `extent with the character of the invested object or with the character' of the investing medium and this fact will be further exemplified in the description of the other illustrated embodiments of the invention which is to follow.

In the specic description of Figure 1 roference is made to the employment of contrasting or complementary pigment colors as well as contrasting or complementary spectral colors, but the particular colors referred to need not necessarily be employed as any contrast ing colors may be selected, the selection being controlled to a certain extent by the character of the commodity or merchandise to be displayed and also the conditions under which the invention is practiced. Likewise, in the specific embodiment illustrated in said Figure 1 it will be preferable to so arrange the light bulbs that the subjectanatter of the display will be flooded with colored light rays from all sides, although, under some conditions it may be found desirable to locat-e the sources of colored light rays in a manner to otherwise flood the subject-matter of the display with light rays.- t will further be understood that'the sources of colored light rays may be so arranged as to be completely hidden from view and, if the container and contents are disposed against or in juxtaposition to a background of a dark neutral color, the medium through which the transformation effect is obtained will not be apparent to the observer.

Figure 2 of the ydrawings illustrates a slight modifi ation of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 and in this figure the numeral 18 indicates the container inthe general form of a. box resembling the ordinary candy box, except that it is of some light iay transmitting material such for example as Celluloid and is of a distinctive pigment color as for example red. Any suitable matter such for example as words, may be represented, as indicated by the numeral 19, upon the lid of the box, in a pigment of a distinctive colork such. for example vas green which color is in contrast with the color ofthe material constituting the box. Ordinary bonbons, or artificial representations thereof, indicated at i 20, are arranged within the box inthe general constitute the invested objects, are for ex ample in brown or .some .other neutral color.

Suitably arranged in juxtaposition to the box and its contents are red light bulbs 2l and blue light bulbs 22, and a conductor wire 23 leads from one side of a source of current supply 24 and is connected `to one terminal of the sockets for all of the bulbs. A conductor wire 25 is led .from the other side-of the source of current supply tothe shaft 26 of an automatic flasher 27 which may be of the same general type as that shown in Figure 'l andinay comprise a disk 28 of insulating material having a series of contacts 29 and 30 mounted upon its face and electrically connectedwith the shaft 26. Brushes 3l and 32 are arranged in juxtaposition to the flasher disk and in such. manner as to` coact respectively with the contact strips 29 and 30. A conductor wire 33 leads from the brush V3l and is connected to the other terminals the brush 32 and connected with the other terminals of the sockets for the red light bulbs. l Y Y It will be evident that, in the operation of the flasher, and as one of the contact strips 29 rides in engagement with the brush 31, the circuit will be closed through the blue light bulbs 22 thus Hood-ing the box wit-h blue light rays with the result that the investing box or investing medium will appear substantially black and the matter 19 upon the lid thereof will appear a brilliant white, the contents 20 of ythe box being invisible, In the continued rotation of the flasher disk lcoact with the contact strips 45 and 4G.

It will now be 'apparent thatv and the objectseinvestcd are represented in contrasting pigment colors, in the embodi-` ment shown in Figure 2 theinvesting medi um isof Va distinct-ive pigment color whereas the invested object is of a neutra-l color, and byaneutral color I mean a vcolor which possesses no color characteristics such as are peculiarto primary colors, and which does not materially change under a rdistinctive spectral color illumination' f Figure 3 ofthe drawings illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein a representation of a large container and a representation of a smaller container withinthe larger one may be successively displayed to the View of observers either for advertising or for amusement purposes, and in this figure the numeral 35 indicates a representation of a containerl such for example asa can which is of light ray transmitting material such for example as Celluloid and of a distinctive color Y Y such for example as red. Suspended for supported in any desired manner Within the container representation 35 is a representation4 36 of a smaller container having how ever the same shape and proportions as the large container 35. This container 36 will likewise be of a distinctive color as for example green. j `Blue light bulbs 37 and red light bulbs 38 are suitably arranged in proximity to the container 35 and a conductor wire 39 is led from a suitable source of current supply, indicated by the numeral 40, and is con'- nected to one terminal ofthe sockets for each of the electric light bulbs. A conductor wire 41 is led fromtheother side of the source .of current supply and electrically connected with the shaft 42 of a flasher 43 which may be of the` type previously described and may comprise a disk 44 of insulatingmaterial carj rying two series of contacts 45 and 46 upon its face electrically connected with the shaft 42. Brushes 47 and 43 are arranged in juxtaposition to the flasher disk and respectively A conductor wire 49 is led from the brush ,47 and connected tothe other terminals of the sockets for the blue lightbulbs 37, and a conductor Wire 50 is led from the brush 43r and connected to the terminals of the sockets for the red light bulbs 38.l

It will be evident that inV the operation of the lasher 43, and when the container 35 is flooded with blue light rays, it will appear ing the container 36 within the container 85,

these will not be visible when the container 36 is displayed and therefore the appearance will be that of the container being suspended Jin mid-air without any visible means of support. The principles of the invention as eX- emplilied in this form thereof may of course find embodiment in various other arrangements of various other objects Within investing mediums.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure l of the drawings the container 1 and contents thereof are displayed under sources 0f illumination exterior thereto, but in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, in which the container is indicated by the numeral 5l and the contents by the numeral 52, the red and the blue light bulbs, indicated respectively by the numerals 53 and 54:, are arranged within the container and more oi less surrounded by the contents thereof, it being understood that the arrangement of the bulbs Willbe such as to produce the best i illuminating effects.` In this embodiment,

the container or investing medium 51 is red in color and substantiallytransparent as in the instance of the containers V.heretofore described, and the invested objects or in other upon itsface the contacts 6l and lSrushes` 63 and 64 are arranged to 'respectively coact with the contacts 6l and 62, and a conductor wire 65 is led from the brush 63 and connected with the other terminal of the socket of the blue light 54, and a conductor wire 66 is led from the brush 6a and connected with the other terminal of the socket for the red light bulb 55. lt will .now be evident that in the operation of the flasher and as the bulb 54 is lighted,'the container and its contents will be illuminated with the blue light rays so that the container will appear substantially opaque, and, on the other hand, when the red light bulb 53 is lighted, the investing medium constitutingrthe container will be rendered substantially invisible, and the cc`n-V tents 52 Will be rendered Visible.

Figures 5 and6 of the drawings illustrate two appearances of an identical image as displayed under light rays of contrasting colors Vin accordance With the principles of the iiivention. This particular embodiment of the invention is directed to the display of wearing apparel, and in the said figures the numeral 67 indicates a dummy such as those employed in clothing stores, or the principles of the invention might be applied to a living model. The representation is that ot a female and, in Figure 5, theduminy is attired in a dress 68 Which is red in color or it may comprise various shades of red, and this dress is of a material which is substantially transe parent to light rays and capable of being fashioned to exactly resemble a dress made of cloth material. A hat 69 may also be provided upon the dummy and made of the same material vas the dress 68 and be ofl the same color as the dress. Theidummy is also attired in underclothing as for example a corset 70 whichniay be White in color, and stockings 71 which may be blue in color. Under white light rays as for example in daylight hours, the dummy will appear substantially as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the dress 68, hat 69 and stockings 71 appearing in their natural colors. Under display conditions, asfor example at night, the attired dummy will be flooded first With green or blue-green light `rays from any suitable source Which source is not shown inasmuch as the `previously described embodiments are sufficiently detailed to render the mannerof illumination clear, and the vhat 69 and the dress 68 will appear black Whereas the stockings 71 will appear substantially white. Then the dummy is flooded with red light, the dress 68 and` hat 69 will completely dis` appear inasmuch as these articles of wearing apparel are represented in red, but the corset 70 Will be displayed substantially White in color and the stockings 71 Will appear substantiallyV black due to the fact that they are of a color contrasting with the color of the light rays under which the dummy is illuminated. It Will be understood that the sources of illumination underwhich the dummy is displayed may be arranged in any suitable manner and that the dummy may be either stationary or may be supported upon a turn-table so as to revolve during the periods of illumination and thereby display the articles of wearing apparel in a more thorough and eective manner.

Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings illustrate the application of the principles `of the invention to the display of theatrical transformation effects and in Fig. 7 the numeral 72 indicates a bath hoiisewhich may be constructed upona stage 7 3 with any ap propriate surrounding scenic displays 74, and this bath house is made of light ray transmitting material such for example as thin Celluloid isoY and is of a distinctive pigment color as for example red, the house being provided with a door 75 which may be swung openand closed. The numeral76 indicates an actress attired in street costume as for exam-ple a dress 77 Which is of substantially the same material as the dress G8 in the previously described embodiment of t-he invention, and red in color` to correspond with the color ofthe bath house. The actress is also illustrated as wearing a hat 78 ywhich is likewise red in color and of any suitable light ray transmitting material. The. actress is further attired in a bathing` suit 79 as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, and this suit is green in color orv of any other color substantially contrasting with the color of the dress 77. It will now be understood that when the stage Vis .flooded with White light rays the bath house 72 will appear red in color and have a solid and substantial appearance, and the actress may, in the carrying` out ofthe invention, advancav across the stage, enter the bath house, and

close the door thereof. Then if the stage be flooded with red light rays, the bath house will instantly disappear as will also the dress 77 and hat 78 worn by the actress, and the actress will appear in the bathing suit 79 alone. Therefore, in this manner there may be produced the effect of a female, fully attired, entering a bath house and then instantly appearing clothed in a bathing suit, the

- transformation being effected in a momentis time so that the change in the appearance of the scenic setting of the stage is startling and mystifying. 0f course the illumination of the stage may be etfiected by spot lights or any other arrangement of white and red light sources and the red light rays would be directed onto the bath house at the proper moment, at the discretion of an attendant whose duty it is to manipulate the switches controlling the supply of current to the whiteand red light sources. lVhen the stage setting is illuminated with red light rays the bathing suit 79 will of course appear substantially black. It will be understood of course that after the red light rays have been projected for a sufficient period of time to effect the transformation in appearance of the actress, and while the actress is still Within the bath sources of illumination may be out off and tute an investment, in accordance With the principles of the invention. v

\ `Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. The method of selectively displaying a container and its contents which comprises representing the contents in a distinctive pigment color, arranging the contents completely Within a container of'transparent material t of a pigment color substantially complementary t the pigment color of the contents,rep resenting upon the container, in a pigment color corresponding substantially to the pigment color of the contents, matter appertaining to the contents, displaying the assemblage under light rays of a spectral color substantially corresponding to the pigment color 'of the contents, whereby to effect theappearance of the container as substantiallyblacl; and the said matter thereon as substantially white, and at the same time effect obliterationy of the contents, and then displaying the assemblage under light rays of a spectral color corresponding substantially t0 the pigment color of the container, whereby to effect obliteration of the container and display or appearanceof the contents. i

2. Display apparatus comprising a container of transparent material of a distinctive pigment color, contents housed completev ly within the container and of a distinctive pigment color different from the first men tioned color, the container having represent` ed thereon in a pigment color corresponding substantially to the pigment color of the said contents, matter appertaining to the contents, and means for successively displaying the assemblage under light rays of contrasting spectral colors, one corresponding substantially to one ofthe pigment colors.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

RICHARD M. CRAIG. [L Sg 

